Greener or dirtier? Study shows biofuels exceed fossil fuels in CO2 output

On a global scale, the utilization of biofuels has led to a greater uptick in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than the fossil fuels that they are envisioned to replace, a new study done on behalf of Europe’s Transport & Environment (T&E) suggests.

The report, which was released by consultancy firm Cerulogy on behalf of T&E, showed that worldwide biofuel manufacturing emits 16% more CO2 than fossil fuels because of the indirect impacts of farming and deforestation.

By 2030, biofuels are anticipated to produce 70 MtCO₂e more than fossil fuels, which translates to the annual emissions of almost 30 million diesel cars.

That same land used for the manufacturing of biofuels, however, could reportedly feed 1.3 billion people, while using just 3% of the land for solar panels could create the same amount of energy, the report said.

Given this massive loss of land and the stark numbers, particularly since biofuel demand is expected to rise by at least 40% by 2030, T&E has called for global stakeholders, those from the maritime industry included, to “limit the expansion